Join us this Sunday at The Auckland Art Gallery as we present a unique compilation of material on Auckland and The Great Depression from the collection of The New Zealand Film Archive Nga Kaitiaki O Nga Taonga Whitiahua.
Spliced with scenes of the unemployment queues are scenes of 'The Prosperity Day Parade: "Auckland decided that it had enough of "old man depression" for the time being and chased gloom away by staging a procession in honour of prosperity week instead".
"TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS!"
The Great Depression.
God Save the King (George)
REGAINED HORIZON (1937)
NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL PICTURES
The State Placement Service, part of Department of Labour was set up to cope with unemployment. Hon. H.T. Armstrong - Minister of Labour, Mr J.S. Hunter - Secretary of Labour and Mr A.J. Ridler - Director of State Placement Service talk about the effciency of the Service and appeal to the public for co-operation.
CINESOUND REVIEW 0143: SO COSY THESE COLD NIGHTS (1934)
Cinesound Productions
"SO COSY THESE COLD NIGHTS. Tom Owen, ancient New Zealand traveller, reaches Auckland with four-legged hot water bottle." Swagger Tom Owen with his goat Phar Lapp wander around a busy Auckland street. An interview in Myers Park. Tom sleeps under the stars with the goat at his feet. He has traveled to Australia, China, Japan, India, England and was in
the Mexican Revolution. He says there will be a revolution in New Zealand if the beer tax goes up.
LUNA PARK (1928)
COUBRAY BROTHERS
The Luna Park venture was established by Henry Hayward of the Fuller Hayward Enterprises. The film proved unsuccessful in interesting the company and a print was never made. The scenic railway (big dipper) came from the Dunedin Exhibition of 1925-26 and was reassembled on the Auckland waterfront. Luna Park was eventually moved to Sydney after failure in
Auckland. (Notes from Ted Coubray correspondence.) The shift to Sydney is rumoured to be because of The Great Depression.
A TAKAPUNA SCANDAL (1928)
RUDALL HAYWARD
A community comedy filmed in and around Auckland... "You Have Seen Intolerance, You Have Seen the Birth of a Nation, You Have Seen Ben Hur, This film has got nothing to do with any of these..."
NEW ZEALAND SOUNDSCENES. EGMONT CALLING!.. (1933)
SOUND FILMS PRODUCTIONS
King's College go down to Grammar School. Auckland - First round of rugger struggle sees Grammar pile up twenty-four points to three on King's home ground: Crowd scenes, King's College buildings, including War Memorial Chapel and highlights of the game.
World's smallest motorcycle - Auckland. That depression we had must have caused this 400 miles per gallon cycle: Jack Gibbons of Onehunga, inventor of small motorbike that does 40 m.p.h
MOVIETONE NEWS A0146: [NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER, M J SAVAGE, GIVES LABOUR PARTY SPEECH] (1936)
Fox Movietone
Prime Minister, M.J. Savage, gives Labour Party Speech.
"Our object is to turn the Dominion of New Zealand into a nation of buyers as well as producers and to make science, machinery and money the servants, rather than the masters of the people. Through Fox Movietone News we extend our greetings. We are the first Labour Government to receive from the people of New Zealand an overwhelming mandate to give effect to an advance policy of social and economic reform. This country was once looked upon as the social laboratory of the world and we are looking forward to again taking our place in the vanguard of human progress."
NEW ZEALAND HISTORY IN THE MAKING (1938)
STANDARD LABORATORY PRODUCTION / LEE HILL
A campaign film for use by New Zealand's Labour Party during the 1938 election campaign. The film is introduced by Michael Joseph Savage and then goes on to record the Labour Government's achievements during their first term of office. It compares the standard of life in 1938 with the days of the depression.
NEW ZEALAND SOUNDSCENES. GRAND NATIONAL SPECIAL! (1933)
SOUND FILMS PRODUCTIONS
Prosperity Week in Auckland. Queen St presents gay procession as Brittania leads procession. Despite rain, Aucklanders stopped, looked and laughed: "Auckland decided it had had enough of the [...] depression, for the time being and chased gloom away by holding a procession in honour of Prosperity Week instead." Crowds line the streets to watch the parade of floats, lorries and vans decked out with flags and advertising, some referring to 'Depression'. Firemen on fire engine with sign 'Depression Shack'. Donations are collected 'for the relief of distress'.